Shri Modi urges parents to educate their children at start of Kanya Kelavani and Shala Praveshotsav 2013-14

"Shala Praveshotsav and Kanya Kelavani Abhiyan 2013-14 commence"

"Shri Modi travels to Lihoda village to inspire parents to send their children to school"

"CM calls ensuring that children, particularly the girl child goes to school"

"Shri Modi talks about steps taken by Gujarat Government to improve primary education in the last decade"

On 13^th June 2013 the Kanya Kelavani Abhiyan and Shala Praveshotsav drive of the Government of Gujarat commenced. For the next 3 days (13^th-14^th-15^th June 2013) the ministers, officials and the Chief Ministers will travel to the villages of Gujarat and inspire parents to send their children to school. For the last eleven years, the Kanya Kelavani Abhiyan and Shala Praveshotsav have contributed in a big way in terms of increasing school enrollment as well as reducing drop out rates across Gujarat.

On the morning of 13^th June, Shri Modi travelled to Lihoda village in Dehgam Taluka (Gandhinagar District) to inspire parents and teachers to educate their children. Shri Modi gave a clarion call to make efforts, as a society, to ensure that the children and particularly the girl child go to school. He urged parents and the larger society not to differentiate between the girl child and boy child and added that when a girl is educated, two families enriched. He said, “I have seen families with four sons, with each son doing well but parents are in an old age home. But I have seen families where is a daughter who has sacrificed marriage to take care of her parents.” Shri Modi also said he would be donating books from his personal library to the schools he visits to give impetus to reading among young children.

Shri Modi pointed out that it is not something to be proud of that after sixty years of Independence a Chief Minister has to come to take children to school. “But then someone had to find a way. We could let things go on and had to change the situation,” said the Chief Minister. He recalled that the previous Governments gave money to educate the elders but they did not get education and the money went into the pocket of a select few. He also urged people to plant a tree during the Shala Praveshotsav.

In his speech the Chief Minister talked about steps taken by the Gujarat Government to improve primary education in the last decade. He shared, “When we took over we realized that over a lakh teachers had to be recruited. If we did not recruit teachers, generations would be left behind!” Likewise, he spoke on the Vijayalakshmi Bonds that have brought a major difference in the lives of girl students. The Chief Minster said that the state Government undertook efforts to build proper sanitation facilities for girl students and added that Rs. 200 crores have been set aside to build hostel related facilities for students. In this, he also sought the support of various community organisations.

A large number of students, teachers and parents were present on the occasion to hear the Chief Minister.